Team Dynamics
by chocolatte-delight
Summary: Team Eight-centric. They're not just teammates. They're friends. It just took Kiba a little bit longer to realize that.
1. Shino

I've been wanting to write a Team 8 fic for a _very_ long time. Basically this fic will be three chapters long, channeling each individual's feelings.

...Three because I do believe I'd have... difficulties doing Akamaru's feelings, and Kurenai's feelings aren't the focus here. It's each of the three and how they overcome their own weaknesses and personalities.

Well, I consider this a nice distraction from my other, say, three, KakaHina fics, hehe :)

Do enjoy.

Oh, and I **own** nothing.

Sadly.

* * *

When Shino first heard that he was being placed on a three-man team, he naturally assumed that it would benefit his own colony, learning teamwork and the like. After all, the essentials of his hive was learning how to fully utilize their abilities and keep them alive as long as possible.

Shino also naturally assumed that, as teammates, his team would get along fine. They were all natural allies, after all. In a hive, one learned to get along, if somewhat grudgingly, with their allies. To fight amongst one selves was absolutely absurd. It could compromise their abilities and their potential would never be fully utilized.

Why then, he questioned himself, did he feel the most strangest urge to decapitate his loud-mouthed, boastful teammate?

"Ugh, Shino! That bug totally just crawled out of you. Sick, man, totally sick!"

He clenched his fists inside his pockets, but outwardly, he did not make any facial expression.

"This _bug_ is one of my allies. We work together to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle, helping one another and using each oth-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't do that in front of me when I'm eating. Makes me sick, ugh." A tanned hand waved airily.

His _teammate_ was severely testing his patience.

When the metal spoon in his hand broke in two, Shino decided that dining out to celebrate their new team formation had been a mistake. With that decision came a swift, and almost carried out, idea of tearing off the boy's head with a careful strike of a kunai.

This very _tempting_ idea was never carried out, due to his other teammate's well-placed interruption.

"A-ano, Kiba-kun… Sh-Shino-kun's kikai are his important friends… To insult them… is l-like him insulting A-Akamaru…"

There was a muffled cough as Kiba choked on his barbeque. Shino, too, had to raise an eyebrow.

Those were the quiet girl's first words since introducing herself. Shino had to give her points. They were good words, indeed.

The Hyuuga girl blushed before looking away, most likely berating herself for having said anything in the first place. This conclusion heightened when a long silence was drawn out between the trio plus canine minus sensei.

A gruff cough was heard from dog-breath's, ahem, Kiba's direction. "Sorry, Shino."

It was barely a mutter, barely above a whisper, but Shino heard it all the same. Hinata also heard it, judging from the way her head snapped up and her mouth opened slightly in shock.

Kiba, who was currently frowning furiously at the napkin dispenser, opened his mouth again. "Shouldn't have said stuff like that. Would've hated it if someone said that 'bout Akamaru." He focused his sharp eyes on Shino, allowing him to see the lightest hint of red on the darkly-tanned boy's face, slightly obscured by his red tattoo marks. "So… sorry," he finished gruffly.

Shino, momentarily at a loss for words, nodded, glad for the fact that his dark sunglasses blocked the shocked look in his eyes.

The meal finished silently, a dark red burning Kiba's ears and a soft smile gracing Hinata's face.

Shino finished the rest of his plate with a thoughtful air about him.

Getting into arguments… was most unlike him.

Feeling this warm… hopeful feeling enveloping his chest was also most unlike him.

Maybe Father would know what this was?

When Shino asked, all he got was a low chuckle from his usually stoic father. Shino immediately turned on his feet, mortified, and more-than-slightly peeved at his father's reaction.

His father's amused chuckles died down immediately and a hand instantly grabbed his shoulder, clamping down almost uncomfortably.

"I laugh because you are young, Shino," said Father from behind him. "I feel mirth because, no matter how brilliant your mind is, you are still naïve in the workings of this world."

His father let go of his shoulder and walked ahead of him.

"I am proud of you because you have finally felt the warmth of a bond between allies, no, _teammates_, that are not cold-blooded."

Shino stared at his father's back, his mind processing his father's strange behavior, slightly, if not completely, confused by it.

"An insect has no feelings, only thoughts of how to better benefit its hive. In this, they make the perfect weapons. Humans, however, are weak in that area. Emotions control their actions; foolish decisions are made because of it." His father stopped walking and turned to him, his hands in his pockets and the smallest hint of a smile on his face. "Become strong, my son, utilizing these weak emotions, because in the end, it is these weak emotions that propel your feet forward in a life-or-death battle."

Shino stood there, his body shaking from the intensity of his father's words, not really comprehending them.

_How can these "weak" emotions help me? Are they not called "weak" for a reason?_

_

* * *

_

Four months later, on their first C-ranked mission, Shino finally realizes how _strong_ these "weak" emotions really are.

_I am so foolish,_ he thinks to himself as he lies on the ground in a broken heap, knowing for sure that he's got second degree burns, low chakra stores, half his colony destroyed, _at the very least_, and he's moments away from unconsciousness. _But… _His unshaded eyes rove down the path his two—_no, three_, he reminds himself—teammates have taken, direct orders from him, team captain.

_At least… I managed to buy them some time._

Shino drifts into unconsciousness, only one thought on his mind.

What kind of "weak" emotions would have given him strength, in those final moments, to take the enemy's attack, giving his three other teammates precious time to escape?

_I understand now, Father._


	2. Kiba

Had to up the rating because of Kiba's foul mouth, haha :)

Anyways, turns out this chapter gave me lots of difficulties. I finished a few drafts half-way before finding it unsatisfying and scrapping it. It was hard getting down Kiba's personality, since he always sounded like a jerk or too Naruto-like. It took awhile, but here comes the one I found the most satisfying.

I don't **own** anything.

* * *

"You have a choice. Let the dog live and forfeit the girl's life, or kill the dog and save the girl's life. Pick now, boy, for time is running short."

_Shit, shit, shit!_

How the hell had he let this happen! Shino had trusted him! Trusted him to get Hinata away from here! And, and…

Kiba's eyes quickly flitted back and forth between Hinata who was in the enemy's grimy hands and Akamaru who was whining softly at his feet.

_Fuck_.

What the hell was he going to do?

_Hinata… or Akamaru?_

Kiba felt his eyes start to burn slightly. _Fuck_ no, was he going to cry, not here, not now, not when his teammates were on the very verge of death. Fuck, one was on the verge of death by his _own _hands_._

Kiba caught himself and shook his head before staring harshly at the enemy.

_Not teammates, friends._

_

* * *

_

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I am not, Kiba. Shino is the most qualified to be team captain for this mission," stated his sensei calmly.

Kiba snarled. "What the _hell_? I'm most likely the strongest here physically! Why the hell is Shino being made captain!"

Kurenai-sensei sent him a hard glare. "You will follow any commands Shino deems fit to give you because _he_ has the most level head of you three. You will _not_ question me on this manner. Am I _clear_, Kiba?"

Cowed by his sensei's almost threatening glare, Kiba nodded, knowing the results of arguing back to older, temperamental women.

"Good," said Kurenai-sensei icily. She gave the team a parting smile and spoke, "Now good luck on your first mission. I'm so sorry that I cannot complete this very important mission with you, but the Hokage has need of me on a special class mission. For now, I'll say good bye. Have fun," she said with a mysterious smile.

With that, Kurenai-sensei disappeared in a hazy fog.

Just what… did she mean by that?

Kiba exchanged curious glances with his teammates, almost smiling when he saw the cutely confused look on Hinata's face, mixed with an underlying look of worry. He started to crack a joke with Shino, but narrowed his eyes and shut his mouth when he realized that Shino was _team captain_, a position he should've had.

Shino's dark sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as he spoke. "Our first mission is a simple D-rank. In the academy we were told that these consisted of simple chores for the village. Our mission today is to..." He glanced down at the paper in his hand before sighing. "We have to capture a… cat called Tora."

Kiba gagged. "W-what the hell? No way! Sick, man, sick! Cats are disgusting, vile creatures who like to piss in our food wares and leave their sickening hairs all over the place and-UGH!" Kiba shuddered and breathed in self-righteously.

He looked around and saw his two teammates staring at him, disturbed looks on their faces. An awkward silence settled in the area.

Kiba coughed into his hand. "Right… well… let's go, ha ha… C'mon, Akamaru!"

He strided down the crowded street, Akamaru barking teasingly at his heels. "You don't like cats either, Akamaru, so don't act so smug," he muttered under his breath. He heard the tell-tale sounds of two pairs of sandals following behind him.

_Great. Now off to find this damn cat._

"Fang to Sunny and Bug-boy, target is in the alleyway, talking up another cat. Disgusting creatures, they think they're so suave and co-"

"My code name is not Bug-boy, Kiba. And do not crowd the wireless set with your nonsense about cats. You have your own opinions, and we have ours, so do not sp-"

"I got it, I got it. Sheesh, Shino, _you're _team captain, so don't 'crowd the wireless set with your nonsense', why don't you?"

The ear piece buzzed on the other end, for some strange reason. A crackling in the ear piece distracted him from his thoughts and a familiar soft voice broke through the static.

"P-please be nice to each o-other, Fang-kun, Abu-kun."

"…my name is not Abu-kun, either."

Kiba snickered into his hand.

"S-sorry... Ah! Target s-spotted, five meters from you, Fang-kun!"

"On it!"

Kiba sprinted towards the disgustingly familiar scent on the other side of the alleyway, grinning ferociously when he pounced on the dreaded _cat_, locking it in a death-hold.

"Gotcha now, you furball!"

Immediately following his announcement, two bodies landed next to him; Kiba instantly recognized his two teammates' scent.

"Caught it. I guess this mean's mission's accompli-OUCH!"

The cat, who had been limp in his arms for a few seconds now, started struggling against his hold, clawing desperately, its sharp nails scratching through his thick jacket sleeves.

Kiba growled menacingly, Akamaru, at his side, did the same. This cat was a smart cat and it instantly cowered in fear. Its glowing eyes glared reproachfully back, though, as if promising to get him back.

They took turns holding the unrestrainable cat on the way back to the feline's owner. The cat didn't dare make a move when it was in his arms, and it was surprisingly docile in Hinata's adoring arms, but… to his amusement and slight pity, it seemed to fight viciously when in Shino's arms.

When Kiba saw the way Shino's sunglasses glinted dangerously even without the sun's shine on it, he honestly thought the cat wouldn't be making it home today.

_It'd be a shame to fail our first mission_, thought Kiba in amusement, _but then again, it'd be an even bigger shame for it to be our team captain's __fault._

He smirked when he heard Shino utter a low curse as the cat meowled loudly as it swatted its tail towards Shino's sunglasses and dug deeply into his arm, leaving deep holes in the guy's jacket.

"Tora-chan! You're back home!" yelled the daimyo's wife. "Mommy's missed you!" she squealed as she squeezed the cat close to her rather large bosom.

His team walked down the long pathway to the main road back to Konohagakure's market area. Kiba sent side-long glances at Shino's torn up jacket, snickering sometimes, grinning other times. Shino ignored him and set about to issuing his last orders for the day.

"Let's get some dinner before going home."

His stomach growling, he nodded, Hinata and Akamaru both doing the same.

It was just as the three bowls of ramen were set in front of them that a blue blur came flying through their ramen bowls, a familiar bushy tail swiping the air, with two frustrated chuunin at its heels.

"I hate cats," he heard Shino mutter. There was an imperceptible shift of air as Hinata nodded her head in agreement.

Kiba's eyes widened in shock.

_F-f-friends?_

_

* * *

_

_I won't let this happen!  
_

Kiba reached into his kunai pouch, a plan formulating in his mind. He breathed in, going through the plan, once, twice, thrice, and stared ahead resolutely.

"Akamaru... I'm sorry!"

Throwing two kunai at Akamaru, the dog dodged it, conveniently landing near the guy that was holding Hinata.

"So you've chosen to spare the girl's life. Smart choice," sneered the enemy.

Kiba ignored him and sent three more kunai at Akamaru, adding a soldier pill along with it. Akamaru smelled it and barked knowingly. He jumped up at a twisted angle to grab the pill in his mouth, dodging all the kunai.

Kiba grinned and settled himself into a crouching position as Akamaru's fur started to turn red.

"Juujin Bunshin no jutsu!" he growled out. "Go, Akamaru!"

Like hell he was going to let them make him choose who to kill, who to save.

Cause there was no way in the heavens above or hell below that he was going to let anyone kill his teammates... his friends.

There was just. No. Fucking. Way.


End file.
